As you are adding items (i.e. tools, equipment, materials & consumables) or searching for items in the Align catalog it is important to understand the distinction between a Model Record vs an Item Record.

Model Record

Model records contain the information that is common to a particular group of tools/materials. This includes:

For example, if a company has a fleet of 10 trucks that are the same, they will all be linked to a single model record in the catalog sharing the same description, manufacturer, category, and model number. Align enables users to either search in the Align catalog for Model Records to begin tracking, which then populates much of the needed information automatically. The other option is to enter this information manually (for example if you need to track a tool that isn’t in the catalog).

Item Record

Once you have started tracking a particular model of an item, you then need to enter identifying numbers for unique or quantity tools/materials. At this point, models with identifying numbers (such as a barcode, serial number or item number) become Item Records.

In summary